Afterword
How This Book Came to Be
This book was never planned. It just happened. I started People Analytics work long before the term people analytics existed. As one of the “old” people in the field, I’d always had a lot of career conversations with those starting out who were looking for insights but when I started teaching People Analytics in early 2016 the requests for advice really increased. And, I noticed that often there were many of the same questions or concerns. So, I started compiling a sort Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document I could share with the next person who asked. By 2020 my FAQs were too long to read easily, so I sat down to turn the content into more of a step-by-step ‘guide’ I could share with students and others. I continued adding to it along the way. I routinely shared it with students and others who were kind enough to provide feedback and asked them to tell me what topics they would benefit from so that I could answer their needs directly in the guide. But then, of course, it got a bit too big to be readable again. So, in 2023 I sat down for some editing and re-formatting work and managed to turn the little guide into online, accessible eBook. I never had a plan to “launch a book.” So, when that was close to ready, I made one or two comments on LinkedIn and kept my tiny list of newsletter subscribers up to date on my progress. But somehow that little eBook guide got noticed! Without any attempts at marketing, that little eBook somehow managed to reach 500+ people in the first 60 days. To be honest, neither I nor that little guide were ready for that level of attention. It was rough. I published it online so my just graduating class of students could benefit from it immediately and never dreamed many people other than my own students or a handful of individuals I connect with here or there would read it. I was wrong. I chose to go silent after that initial interest, I had a busy year ahead but worked on this book whenever I could and in the summer of 2024 sat down every day to turn that guide into the full length book you are reading today.
Some pieces may feel more in depth than others and you may notice that I cover some but not all general career advice topics that aren’t People Analytics specific. That is because the content in this book came together naturally based on what the people I have met have needed. Each section was built out a bit more each time I had a career conversation with someone, each time I taught a people analytics course, each time new insights or connections were made, or when I’d hear about the successes and troubles of those pursuing roles (or trying to hire) in people analytics. Some sections were written to address specific concerns I heard repeatedly – if you were wondering why there is a whole section about imposter syndrome, it’s because I see it so often. Other parts were written to help catalogue and give lists for those who told me they felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of things they felt they needed to learn in order to do ‘analytics’ work. That’s why “Turn Info to Insights: Step 3. Build Your Technical Skills” has so many sections and why the Self-Discovery assessments are in separate tables that can be tackled one by one. It’s also why I so often encourage you to start small and build gradually. Quite a few sections were added specifically because I heard from multiple People Analytics leaders that when they look to hire people analytics professionals they struggle to find individuals who express their appreciation for the full range of skills required beyond only quantitative analysis. This is why there is an entire step called “It’s Not All Analytics: Step 2. Build Your Non-Technical Skills” and why even in the technical skills section, you’ll notice a lot of non-quantitative skills like research methods, qualitative analysis, visualizations, data management, data governance, ethics, and technology use.
My Hope For What This Book Can Be
My main goal in writing this book is for it to be used not just read. It was designed to help you decide if people analytics is a good career choice for you. Either as a main focus of your career or as a skill set you apply within your broader career interests. And, if it is, to provide you with ideas, actions, and inspiration to build knowledge, skills, and a career that aligns with your passions and will be exciting for a long time to come. I hope this book has brought you value in some form and that you feel welcome to join and be part of the people analytics community.
Finally, I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed building it over the years. It came together slowly, piece by piece, it was built with love and given to you in the same spirit.
– Heather